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Science Fiction Picks

A list of some classic and newer science fiction works for new and long time readers.

10 items

  • A collection of short stories by William Gibson all of which are excellent gateways for readers interested in the Cyberpunk genre.
    Book, 2003New York : HarperCollins Publishers, 2003. — SF GIBSO W
  • A wonderful read that spans thousands of years. Originally published as a group of linked stories and later organized into a novel with a final epilogue.
    Book, 2015New York : Open Road Integrated Media, 2015. — SF SIMAK C
  • All Systems Red

    The Murderbot Diaries, Book 1

    Wells, Martha
    The first in Martha Wells' Murderbot Diaries. A short read (it's a novella) but a very good one. There is an over arching plot that you will encounter as you read the other three novellas in the series. Highly recommended!
    eBook, 2017New York : Tor.com, 2017.
  • Joe Haldeman's classic tale of soldiers fighting on far off worlds only to return to earth decades or centuries later (due to time dialation - you can't escape Mr. Einstein!). The changes in the world they return to are both bizarre and often…
    Book, 2009New York : Thomas Dunne Books, 2009. — SF HALDE J
  • Mary Robinette Kowal's Hugo award winning novel of an alternate history with a bit of early space race thrown in for good measure. It is the first or technically a prequel of the "Lady Astronaut" series.
    Book, 2018New York, NY : Tom Doherty Associates, 2018. — SF KOWAL M
  • Howdy Pards! No, really this collection of short stories isn't a western genre book, it is a collection of science fiction short stories that blend elements of the western genre. Plenty of fun if you are a science fiction or even a western fan!
    Book, 2023Riverdale, NY : Baen, 2023. — SF HIGH NO
  • Part of Ian M. Banks "Culture Universe" and a good introduction to the series, it is notable for its somewhat different approach to the space opera sub-genre. The Culture Universe is also fun for the rather notable names of its sentient starships,…
    Book, 2008New York : Orbit, 2008, c1987. — SF BANKS I
  • A fast paced, dizzying and mind blowing tale of the Maxc family during the course of the 21st century. Nine linked short stories follow Manfred Maxc and family across time and the solar system.
    eBook, 20052005.
  • Gibson and Sterling's novel isn't the first book to be considered part of the Steampunk genre (that honor tends to rest with James P. Blaylock's "Homunculus"), but it was the first to really kick the genre into high gear. A good read and an absolute…
    eBook, 2011New York : Spectra, 2011.